Portable cotton cleaner



May 26, 1953 F. D. ROAN PORTABLE COTTON CLEANER Filed June 2 9, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FLOYD D. ROAN mm mm mm 9% mm Q3 m Q F. D. ROAN PORTABLE COTTON CLEANER May 26, 1953 Filed June 29, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WK ww QR ma 3 w% m NM R M N NA m m.

. D D Y 0 IL Fr.

y 1953 F. D. ROAN PORTABLE COTTON CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 29, 1950 INVENTOR. FLOYD o. ROAN May 26, 1953 F. D. ROAN 2,639,469

PORTABLE COTTON CLEANER Filed June 29, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 6. 62

E I1 I I U 1 u -/6 \58 fi I a 60 TINVENTOR.

FLOYD D. ROAN May 26, 1953 Filed June 29, 1950 F. D. ROAN PORTABLE COTTON CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 7.

INVENTOR.

FLOYD D. ROAM oni the held.

Patented May 26, 1953 PDRIIABLE 'IGOTTON CLEANER Floyd D. :Roan, klnibbock, Tex, mssignor 10! one-- fihalf to :Thlmer A. Htogerg lpubbaek, Tex.,.-.-and zone-half to Lubbock rMachine Company,

Application -JuneZi), 1950,- SeriaLI*No. 171,048

(CINE-+93) 3 Claims.

, 1 "This :iinvention .arelates .to a portable cotton cleaner and more particularly to en piece of mobile feqxiipment adapted to be "connectedin trail- .ing ,reiation to :a mechanical "cotton -=picker or the type commoniy employed in harvesting cottan.- I

It is well known "that in "the =mechan'ical hanvest-m of "cotton a great deal 'of undesirable material such as stems, burrs, leaves, and the like is carriedthrough the; picker-with the -result that the "cottonwhen {taken "to the gin contains a large quantity :of trash and like undesirable matter.

since "the cotton farmer-is pai'd inraccordance with the amount :0! clean cotton "deliveredafter the @g'irming process, it is :evident that much waste occurs in hauling to the 'gin the foreign matter which must "be -'disposed of. Moreover the foreign matter -remove'd*bythe gin must be disposed "of and is usually *burned or otherwise destroyed. 'Tliisresults in considerable loss of "fertilizing value "contained inthe destroyed-material-which could be well employed'by returning it *to the i'ield. from which *the cotton was harvested.

"The primary object of this invention is 'to efiect economies in the "harvesting 'O'fwQOttOIl by avoiding the carrying of sticks, stems,"leaves and the like to the "cotton gin "and "also 'by depositing the sticks, "stems and "like trash memmmnem from "which the cotton is being "harvested "in order to "gain the "fertilizing "vaiue contained such trash.

.Another object is'to :assuce-maximum-financial "return "to the "farmer ffor the "amount *o'fvcdtton delivered to "thecotton' gin. 7 Still another *object is 'to remove "from the picked "cotton "the .sticks, stems, "leavespanfl '"th'e like, and deposit them :on the field es 'the "pickingof 1',hB.'COttOII takes-place.

having a perfcratedbottom abovewhich agroup of agitators "are mounted to "rotate for agitating the cotton andseparating the cottonf'rbersfrom sticks, "stems'an'd like foreign matter, and "fans operating 'a'hove the agitators -"ior *directing =air downwardly against the cotton to ass'ist inblow- ;;ing the t'foreign ;matter ffrom lithe .tcotton fibers.

-fOther features include iburr removing equip- ..ment intermediate the rends of the mobile cotton cleaner for removing'zburrs,andithelike carried irby :the fibrous material: and 'depositin'g them Still dither :features include 1a prime :mover carried Trby :the-rmohile "cotton cleaner if or operating the agitators, burr removing equipment and the fans in -1mison aduringth'e advance of the cotton through thecleaner.

I Infthedrawings:

Figure :1 is '3a atop xplan eview .of a mobilecottoncleaner embodying .the features of this :invention,

'ffi'i'gurc 2-ais a-sideview of-the'cleanenillustrated in Eigure 1.

figure :3 ;isra side view-.fromxhe opposite side of the'iicotton cleaneriillustrated. inFigure 1,

:Eigure 24 is a rfragmentary enlarged vertical sectional wiew through the 'cotton cleaner illustrateiizin FiguresE-l'through Ednclusive,

Figure 5'israwe1tica1 sectional view takenlrsubstantially :along the line 5-5 of Figure-4,

Figure'fi is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially "alongthe line r-6 s of l-Figure 5,

Figure '7 is'a vertical sectionalview taken substantially along *the T line of :Figure 4,

:Figure is-iisra sectionalview: taken substantially along-the line--3-8cof :Figureeand Figure 9 :is can enlarged fragmentary vsectional yiew taken "substantially along the line 9-4 :of -Fignre'4.

f Referring :to '-:the drawings in detail 1 the invention comprises a carriage formed of a .pair :of

. spaced :parallel side panels HI and (-2 a each carrying radjacent their upper edges angle bars ,M eachhaving an:outwardly'extenrlingaleg or flange which lies substantially i'flllSh with the .top sedge of'fxlts respective side panel. Secured to eachtside .n panelrnear its lower Ye'dgefis :an angle bardishavingrits horizontal flange or :leg "disposed upwardly in spacedfparallel relation with thetop Tflange tor leg of the T-top tangle bar M. "The angle bars 1135 end the panels m and F2 :are pierced'ratzspaceil intervals with aligning-openings 18 for the recaption of through bolts "120 which extend'trans as at22'6 11130131631 the agitators to he more fully 'hereinafter described. As shown, "these [bars 224 tare "spaced :apart transversely of the structure and located near the lower edges of the rside panels 10 and l2- 'so'a's'to form-a perforated hotmomrthrough which trash, carried by the cotton -into*the space between the side :panels Wand 1-2 :may becdischarged.

Welded or otherwise attached to the angle bars I4 at the upper edges of the side panels I2 are upstanding walls 28 which are pierced at spaced intervals with aligning openings 30 for the reception of through-bolts 32 which, like the through-bolts 20, are surrounded by spacing sleeves 34 whichextend transversally across the machine and engage the walls 28 to hold the side panels I and I2 in spaced parallel relation.

Extending transversely between the side pan els I0 and I2 adjacent to the forward end of the machine, and near the lower edges of the side panels, is a transversely extending'angle bar 36 carrying midway between opposite ends a vertically extending sleeve 38 in which the spindle 40 of a caster wheel 42 is mounted to rotate and welded or otherwise attached to the angle bars I6 adjacent to the forward ends thereof are forwardly extending arms 44 to which a suitable draft tongue 46 is pivotally connected as at 48. An upwardly and forwardly extending wall 50 is carried by the side panels adjacent to the forward ends thereof and carried at the upper end of said wall is a filling hopper 52 into which cotton is delivered from the cotton picker to which the device is attached by the draft tongue 46. It will thus be seen that the cotton delivered into the hopper 52 will be directed downwardly and rearwardly by the wall 50 into the space between the side panels I0 and I2 to rest on the perforated bottom formed by the bars 24. Welded or otherwise supported on the spacing sleeves 34 is a strip of metal 54 which is arched as at 56 between the sleeves 34 and the tie bolts 32 so that the upper ends of the arched portions extend above the top edges of the side walls 28 to form free air passages by which air may enter the space between the side panels I0 and I2.

Supported in suitable bearings 58 carried by the angle bars I6 and extending transversely of the device through the side panels I0 and I2 are rotary beaters 60 each of which comprises a shaft 62 which is provided at longitudinally spaced points with transversely extending openings 64 in which bars 66 forming the beater arms are extended. These bars are of a length to pass closely to the curved portions 26 of thebars 24 so that cotton delivered into the device will be agitated and moved toward the rear end of the device. Such agitation of course tends to loosen sticks, stems and like debris from the fibrous body of the cotton so that they will fall between the bars 24 and be deposited on the ground as the cleaner advances. Each shaft 62 carries on the end which projects through the panel I2, a drive pulley 68 and these drive pulleys 68 are belted together, as illustrated in Figure 3, by a short belt I0, an intermediate belt I2 and a long belt I4, which extends completely around the pulleys 68 adjacent to opposite ends of the machine. The pulleys 68 nearest the opposite ends of the machine are belted by a short belt I6 so that when one of the shafts 62 is rotated, all of the shafts 62 will be driven in unison.

Carried by each angle bar I4 on the inside of its respective wall 28, are bearings 18 in which fan shafts 80 are journaled. These fan shafts are located midway between the through bolts 32 and carry fans 82, the blades 84 of which rotate in arcs which lie substantially concentric to the arched portions 56 of the plate 54. Drive pulleys 86 are carried by the shafts 80 adjacent to the ends thereof nearest the side panel I2, and these pulleys 86 are belted together by V- belts 88 so that when one. of the shafts 80 is ro- 4 tated, all of the shafts will rotate in unison therewith.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 6 two of the shafts 62 are provided adjacent to the side panel I0, with drive pulleys 90 which have driving connection through the medium of V-belts 92 with drive pulleys 84 carried by twoof theshafts 80 so that when the-shafts 62 are driven, the shafts 80 will also be driven in unison therewith. It will thus be seen that as the heaters 60 operate on the cotton to loosen the sticks, stems and the like therefrom, the fan blades 84 will be driven to direct a blast of air against the cotton from the top thereof so as to facilitate the removal of the undesirable matter from the cotton and discharge it between the bars 24.

In order to further facilitate the removal of undesirable matter from the fibrous cotton, I

provide substantially midway between opposite ends of the side panels I0 and I2, burr removing equipment comprising a saw SIS-of the type conventionally employed in a cotton. gin. This saw. 96 is carried on a shaft 98 which is mounted for rotation in bearings I00 carried by opposite side panels I0 and I2. A drive pulley I02 is mounted on one end of the shaft 98 and has driving con nection through the medium-of the drive belt I04 with a pulley I06 carried by a shaft I08 which is mountedfor rotation in bearings H0 carried by the side panels I0 and I2 above the bearings I00. Mounted on the shaft I08 for rotation there with is a stripper cylinder II2 which carries on its periphery radiating blades I I4 which rotate in an are near the periphery of the saw 96 on the sidethereof toward which the cotton is moved. A drive pulley H6 is carried on the shaft I08 adjacent the end thereof remote from the pulley I 06 and has driving connection with a main drive pulley I I8 through the medium of a belt I20. The drive pulley H6 is carried on a main drive shaft I22 which is mounted to rotate transversely of the machine in suitable bearings I24 which are carried by a superstructure I26 which in turn is carried by the side panels I0 and I2. Mounted on the drive shaft I22 adjacent to the end remote from the drive pulley H8, is a multiple V-belt pulley I25 which has driving connectionwitha prime mover I21 throughthe medium of agroup of V-belts I28. It will thus be seen that when the prime mover is set into operation, power will be transmitted through the shaft I22 and-belt I20 to the stripper cylinder H2 and thence'through the pulley I06, belt I04 and pulley I02 to the saw 96. r A group of pickers I30 are mounted in bearings I32 carried by the side panels I0 and I2 and mounted on the shafts I34,of the pickers I30 are drive pulleys I36 around which the belt I20. is trained so that when the drive shaft. I22 is 1'0.- tated, the pickers I30 Will rotate in unison with the saw 96 and the stripper II2. The pickers I30 are located between the saw and the heaters .60 which advance the cotton toward and into the saw 96 for further cleaning, while the stripper II2 knocks the burrs and like matter back into the chamber through which the cotton is being advanced toward the saw, for discharge through the perforated bottom formed by the bars 24.

In order to remove the cotton fibers from the saw 96 a brush [34a is carried on a shaft I360, which is mounted in suitable bearings I38 carried by the side panels I0 and I2, and this brush is driven by means of a drive pulley I40 over which the drive belt I20 is trained.

Suitable supporting wheels I42 are mounted for rotation on an axle shaft which extends transversely beneath the side panels Ill and I2 and is coupled thereto in any conventional manner so as to cooperate with the castor wheel 42 in providing mobility for the cleaner. In the preferred form of the invention, a power takeoii pulley Hit is carried by the shaft 52 adjacent the rearinost end of th machine for connection to an elevator by which cotton delivered from the rear end of the cleaner may be transferred to a mobile bin for subsequent transportation to the cotton gm.

In operation it will be understood that cotton leaving the cotton picker, to which this cotton cleaner is connected by means of the draft tongue is delivered into the hopper 52 and falling downwardly along the inclined wall fill it will be engaged by the foremost beater or agitator (it and transferred thereby along the bars or rails to the next agitator or beater, finally arriving to a point adjacent the auxiliary cleaning mechanism from whence it is engaged by the pickers I fill and moved into contact with the saw As the iibrous cotton is engaged by the teeth of the saw $5 and moved upwardly, the radial blades lid of the stripper H2 will knock loose any burrs or other foreign matter so as to prevent it from being carried by the saw into the rear portion of the cleaner. As the saw tin revolves, the fibrous cotton will be carried therearound and into contact with the rotary brush I36 which removes the cotton from the saw and delivers it into the rear half of the machine where it is again engaged by heaters or agitators fat to be moved along the rails or bars M to the rear end of the machine. It may be delivered in a clean condition to an elevator by which it will be deposited in a mobile bin which may e attached to the rear end of the cleaner in any conventional manner. Obviously, as the bin becomes filled, it may be detached and another A bin coupled to the cleaning device so that the filled bin may be delivered to the gin while the picking and cleaning operation continues. In this way cleaned cotton may be delivered to the cotton gin by the farmer while the debris separated from the cotton fibers is deposited on the ground during the picking operation in order to supply fertilizer thereto. As a consequence by employing this invention the farmer not only gains by delivering clean cotton to the sin, but also by employing the trash which has been separated from the cotton as fertilizer.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred form of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a mobile cotton cleaner of the character set forth, an elongate structure comprising spaced parallel side walls and a front wall, a longitudinal bottom between the lower portions of the side walls, comprising longitudinal bars spaced to provide debris discharging openings, longitudinally spaced rotary boaters supported transversely above the bottom between said side walls, a plurality of elongate fans spaced longitudinally of the structure and rotatably supported between the side walls at the tops thereof to drive air downwardly against the heaters, means for introducing cotton into the structure at the top and adjacent to the front wall, means extending across between the tops of the side walls providing a plurality of arched open end covers each overlying a fan, each of said covers having a portion at each end extending above the top of the adjacent side wall to provide an air entrance opening, and burr removing mechanism supported transversely of the structure at a position midway of the ends of the latter between said side walls and a forward and rear series of heaters.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said cover providing means comprises a single sheet of material for a number of grouped fans, bent to provide a like number of joined covers, and transverse bolts joining the tops of the side walls, certain of said bolts lying between and joined to the covers.

3. In a mobile cotton cleaner of the character set forth, an elongate structure comprising spaced parallel side walls and a front wall, a longitudinal bottom between the lower portions of the side walls, comprising longitudinal bars spaced to provide debris discharging openings, longitudinal flanges carried by said walls on the outside and adjacent to the bottom edges thereof, longitudinal flanges carried by said walls upon the outside and adjacent to the top edges thereof, bearing units carried by the lower flanges and aligned transversely of the structure, longitudinally spaced rotary heaters in and disposed transversely of the lower part of the structure and including shafts supported at their ends in aligned bearings, a longitudinal low vertical wall secured to and extending along the outer edge 01' each of the top flanges, bearing units carried by the top flanges and aligned transversely of the structure, a plurality of elongate fans spaced longitudinally of the structure and including shafts, supported at their ends in aligned bearings on the top flanges, bolts extending transversely of the structure between and connecting said low walls the bolts lying between adjacent fans, cover means for a number of adjacent fans comprising a sheet of material lying between the low walls across the structure and having upwardly arching transverse portions each forming a cover over a fan and downwardly arching portions each passing under and connected with a bolt, the top part of each upwardly arching portion rising above the top edge of the adjacent low wall to provide an air inlet opening, means connected With the beater shafts and with the fan shafts for rotating the same, means for introducing cotton into the structure at the top and adjacent to the front wall, and burr removing mechanism supported transversely of the structure at a position midway of the ends there of, between said side walls and a forward and a rear series of heaters.

FLOYD D. ROAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,005,034 Hitchon Oct. 3, 1911 2,079,547 Court May 1937 2,421,478 Blewett June 3, 1947 2,526,535 Brown Oct. 17, 1950 

